Folklore of Indian Villages, from the Mahabharata Era till Today, Now in One Book!

Read about the fascinating history of every Indian village, all compiled into one book.

Each village in India has its own storied history, and a unique cultural fabric. Now, thanks to a novel initiative by the Indian Council of Historical Research, you can learn all the available history and legendary folklore of Indian villages, dating back to the Mahabharata.

Carrying vital information about 500 villages and 30,000 towns of India, as well as various folk stories and popular beliefs, a dictionary is being compiled. Separate teams visiting different villages will seek help from locals, who are aware of their village’s history.

A village in India. Picture for representative purposes only. Picture Courtesy: Wikipedia

The initiative will begin with mapping the towns of Haryana, where, according to researches, evidence suggests that episodes from the Mahabharata took place. Says IHCR Member Secretary, Rajaneesh Kumar Shukla to DNA “There are more than 5 lakh villages in the country and every Indian village has a history associated with it. For the first time, we are going to explore all that history and put that information on record. We are starting with Haryana because it has very old history. The area of Kurukshetra, for example, is very significant for our research”, adding “There are two parts to the research — first is the collection of information and second is the systematisation and synchronisation of that data. Apart from our own team, we would also like to engage the local youths interested in history”.

According to officials, the council has already started work on the dictionary, and is targeting to finish the work within the next two years. The “most comprehensive” document on Indian history, as this book is being called, is sure to be an interesting mix of factual information, engaging stories and popular beliefs.

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